Weakness of a hadeeth about the virtues of Ramadaan

 

How sound is the hadeeth narrated from Salmaan al-Faarisi (may Allaah be pleased with him) in which he is reported to have said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) addressed us on the last day of Sha’baan and said: ‘O People, there has come to you a great and blessed month, a month in which there is a night that is better than a thousand months. Allaah has made fasting (this month) an obligation and spending its nights in prayer an act of voluntary worship. Whoever draws near to Allaah during this month by doing some good deeds is like one who does an obligatory action at any other time, and the one who does an obligatory action during this month is like one who does seventy obligatory actions at any other times. It is a month whose beginning is mercy, its middle is forgiveness and its end is ransom from the Fire…’”??

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

This hadeeth was narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah in his Saheeh,
3/191, no. 1887. He said, “If the report is saheeh …” but the word ‘if’ was
omitted in some references such as al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb by
al-Mundhiri (2/95), so they thought that Ibn Khuzaymah said, “The report is
saheeh,” although he did not state that. 

It was also narrated by al-Mahaamili in al-Amaali
(293); by al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Eemaan (7/216); Fadaa’il
al-Awqaat, p. 146, no. 37; by Abu’l-Shaykh Ibn Hibbaan in Kitaab
al-Thawaab; it was attributed to him by al-Saa’aati in al-Fath
al-Rabbaani (9/233); it was mentioned by al-Suyooti in al-Durr
al-Manthoor, and he said, it was narrated by al-‘Aqeeli and he classed
it as da’eef (weak); it was mentioned by al-Isbahaani in al-Targheeb,
and by al-Munaqqi in Kanz al-‘Ummaal (8/477). All of them narrated it
via Sa’eed ibn al-Musayyib from Salmaan al-Faarisi. The isnaad of the
hadeeth is da’eef (weak) for two reasons, which are: 

1 – There is a break in the chain of narrators, because
Sa’eed ibn al-Musayyib did not hear it from Salmaan al-Faarisi (may Allaah
be pleased with him).

2 – Its isnaad includes ‘Ali ibn Zayd ibn Jad’aan, of whom
Ibn Sa’d said: “There is some weakness in him and he cannot be quoted as
evidence. He was classed as da’eef (weak) by Ahmad, Ibn Ma’een, al-Nasaa’i,
Ibn Khuzaymah, al-Jawzjaani and others, as it says in Siyar A’laam
al-Nubala’, 5/207. 

Abu Haatim al-Raazi judged the hadeeth to be munkar (a kind
of weak hadeeth). Al-‘Ayni said likewise in ‘Umdat al-Qaari’, 9/20,
as did Shaykh al-Albaani in Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da’eefah
wa’l-Mawdoo’ah, vol. 2/262. no. 871. So it becomes clear that the isnaad
of this hadeeth and similar reports are all da’eef (weak), and that the
muhadditheen (scholars of hadeeth) judged it to be munkar, in addition to
the fact that it contains some phrases whose authenticity is subject to
further examination, such as its dividing the month into three parts, saying
that the first ten days are mercy, then forgiveness, then ransom from the
Fire. There is no evidence for this, rather the bounty of Allaah is immense,
all of Ramadaan is mercy and forgiveness, and there are those whom Allaah
ransoms from the Fire every night and at the time of breaking the fast, as
is proven by the ahaadeeth. 

Moreover, in this hadeeth
it says, “Whoever draws near to Allaah during this month by doing some good
deeds is like one who does an obligatory action.” There is no evidence for
this, rather naafil actions are naafil and obligatory actions are obligatory
in Ramadaan and at other times. This hadeeth also says, “and the one who
does an obligatory action during this month is like one who does seventy
obligatory actions at any other times.” This number is subject to further
examination, because a good deed earns a reward between ten and seven
hundred times in Ramadaan and at other times, and nothing is exempted from
that apart from fasting, for its reward is immense and unlimited, because of
the hadeeth qudsi: “Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except for
fasting, which is for Me and I shall reward for it.” (Agreed upon; narrated
from Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him). 

We must beware of da’eef (weak) hadeeth and make sure of
their status before we speak of them. We must strive to find out the saheeh
ahaadeeth about the virtues of Ramadaan. May Allaah grant us all strength
and accept our fasting, night prayers and all our good deeds. 

And Allaah knows best.